Teacher Adaptive Art Lesson for Students with Autism

Teacher Work Sample: Adaptive Art
Dawn Chastain
Student Teaching
Metropolitan State Universality of Denver
Fall 2015

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Candidate Information
Teacher Candidate Name: Dawn K. Chastain
School and District Name: Westerly Creek Elementary School in Denver Public School District
Cooperating Teacher’s Name and Room: Tracy Shellooe in room 148
Grade and Subject: Intermediate (grade 3rd
– 5th
) Center for Autism
TWS Unit Title: Art: The Important Book
School and Community Description
Denver Public Schools (DPS) is one of the fastest growing urban schools in Colorado. In 2009, they had
78,352 students enrolled then it increased to 90,143 in 2014. The district supervises 185 schools with a wide
assortment of educational choices. The district provides traditional, magnet, charter and pathway schools. DPS
has 3 ECE-K programs, 86 elementary schools, 20 ECE - 8th
grade schools, 4 ECE - 12th
grade schools, 22
middle schools, 31 high schools, and 19 6th
grade - 12th
grade schools.
Westerly Creek Elementary is located in Stapleton, Colorado. It serves ECE3 - 5th
grade, around 698
students. It has a Principal, Assistant Principal, a Principal Resident, MTSS coordinator, and a Communications
& Site Assessment Leader overseeing the staff. They have a Speech Therapist, Social Worker, Psychologist,
and Occupational/Physical Therapist on the special services team. The teams are English Language Acquisition,
intervention, Early Childhood Education, Gifted and Talented, General Education, Special Education, and the
Autism center which totals approximately 84 school staff. Each member is a specialist in their own field.
They have a program called Kaleidoscope. This is a program for students 3 years of age up to 12 years
of age. It is a before and after school licensed child care program. The program is only offered in a few selective
schools throughout DPS. This school also provides after school enrichment programs. These programs enhance
their personal and educational development through experience.
The school teams work to develop the whole child. Westerly Creek has an acronym for their values:
compassion, respect, empathy, engagement, and kindness (CREEK). They recognize those students who
demonstrate these values weekly and monthly with predetermined activities. The school prides themselves on a
student-centered learning environment.

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The school functions off of a referral system used district wide. In the referral system there are five
types of offences divided into small sections by levels A-F. The type 1 (A-C), type 2 (D), type 3 (E), type 4 (F),
and then type 5. Expulsion becomes an option at type 4 and required at type 5 offenses. The referral system in
clearly stated on the DPS district web page.
Westerly Creek Elementary services a population with 9% of students with disabilities. That percentage
also includes the autism program. They support 11.57% gifted and talented students in their school. Within the
gifted students 36.62% are males while 53.42% are females. They have a 6.6% population of second language
learners. The specific breakdown of ethnic background for this school is 0.01% American Indian or Alaska
native, 4.2% Asian, 7.7% Black or African American , 12.9% Hispanic, 69.8% White, and 0.1% Native
Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. They have 15.04% free/ reduced lunches.
Their school hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., Monday – Friday. The teachers begin their day at 8:00
a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. The school has a weekly staff meeting and the Special Education team meets weekly to
update their student’s status. They have a weekly team meeting in the intermediate autism program to make sure
all members are reinforcing procedures and supporting each other. This is also done after every time district forms
are filled out on a student (Westerly Creek Elementary, 2015).
(Colorado Department of Education, 2013)
(Denver Public Schools, 2015)

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Westerly Creek Elementary met expectations overall on the TCAP in 2013-2014. The student’s
achievement status exceeded expectations with an 86.7% and the school received an extra 2 points for center-
based programs. The students here outperformed the state and district scores in all academic areas. Each grade
fell within 80 percent range. Their scores showed insignificant decline from one grade level to the next. This
shows the dedication amongst the students, parents, and staff.
The program for students with autism at Westerly Creek is broken down into two levels. The primary
class works with students PreK-2nd
grade. Once a student has reached the 3rd
grade they are then moved over to
the intermediate class until they move on to middle school.
The intermediate program for students with autism has ten students enrolled. The IQ in this classroom
ranges from 40-130. A few of the students have conditions comorbid to autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The
teacher accommodates all students on an individual basis. The classroom is set up to meet those
accommodations without deviation. The least restrictive location for four of the students is the resource room.
(Colorado Department of Colorado, 2015)

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These students need extensive support and complete five hours and thirty minutes a day in the resource room.
The time out of the room is spent at specials, lunch, and recess. One student spends around forty-nine percent of
the day in the resource room moving from two different program frameworks, depending on his ability. One
program is the based off the rethink system. The other is based off the Pragmatic Language Executive
Functioning (PLEX) program. Two students spend thirty percent of their day in the resource room. They have
para support in the general education setting. Another student spends 7% of the daily activities in the resource
room while another spends his whole day included in his classroom. The last student completes 30 minutes a
week in the resource room.
The intermediate autism program is located in the central room 148. There are two rooms coming off of
the central room, and a personal bathroom. The students who need the most assistance are set up in room 150
with partitions. The teacher is with these students all day except when they are with their
peers. The second room is a sensory room. The students use this room throughout the day
(room 152). Meanwhile, the three paras support the needs of students included in general
education. The teacher set up the groups during appropriate times, but that means there is
more than one group at a time.
The teacher has set up a class wide schedule for her groups. However, one student has an individual
schedule. The remaining students have their own typed schedule placed strategically on the wall. They are
expected to copy down their schedule at the beginning of the day when they go over their daily goals. The team

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uses a variety of positive reinforcement’s techniques. These include immediate rewards, earned rewards, token
system, and weekly store from earned bucks.
The teacher communicates with the parents frequently to assure their student’s progress is up to date.
The teacher may call a parent, send pics of their child to them, email them, all while writing in the back and
forth books daily. The students in general education take forms home monitoring their behavior. Copies are
made before they leave the school and then placed in the students file
The teacher focuses on the prevention of behaviors that is why procedures are put into place in the case
of maladaptive behaviors. For the students who have problem behavior in the resource room and cannot refocus
with several previous prompts, the student may spend a couple of minutes at the refocus desk. The step to
refocus is combined with a processing worksheet adapted to the individual student’s ability. This way, the
students are guided through cognitive processing with a visual component.
For students in crisis, the staff is moved around to fit the needs of all students. There must be at least
two staff with the student in crisis for the purpose of safety. Sometimes, the staff who was with the student at
the first stages of crisis will be removed. This assures the de-escalation is completed in a timely manner. Once
the de-escalation is complete the student will go to the refocus desk to begin processing the crisis. The
consequences depend on the offenses.
Student Description
My Teacher Work Sample is a modified art group with six students. To qualify for this group the student
must benefit from working on fine motor skills. This group was created to work on those skills with multi
academic elements intertwined. This group works on many different skills needed to excel academically and
socially. It works on social interaction, expressive language, reading, listening, following directions, writing,
and vocabulary. The group has a variety of fine motor needs. All students get positive reinforcement throughout
the lesson with the use of verbal, visual, and physical prompts. Behavior management is done with both direct
and indirect approaches depending on the situation. The students also earn checkmarks as a group or individual
based on need. The students will earn their break between activities. To complete this art project with this group

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of student it requires a teacher and para support. The teacher runs the group and the para support focuses on
helping with behavior and supporting two students with motor skills. At any time the lesson may be interrupted
by student meltdowns. This may be by students within or outside the group. The intermediate group has
students in general education classrooms. Two of the six students in this group are mainstreamed. They only
come to this activity.
Student A’s ability is at grade level academically. He does struggle with focus and hyperactivity. He
needs practice working on attention span, expressive language, and motor skills which is why he was included
in this group. His time on task is around five minutes. One of his goals is time on task. We work on this at the
same time he works on the other skills. He flips from topic to topic but can complete a project without
modification. He is allowed breaks and extra time to complete the work.
Student B has an IQ of 130 and is a textbook case for autism. The needs which qualified him for this
group are attention, following directions, motor skills, social interaction, and expressive language. He is able to
complete work without modifications, but needs accommodations across all educational settings. He needs
extended time, and scheduled/ unscheduled breaks within the classroom setting. He perseverates on items so it
is important to set up the environment so he can be successful. His repetitive movements become more obvious
as he is stimulated so he needs extra space. He needs the staff to reinforce his specific language and strategies
for self-awareness and self-soothing during stressful situations. He does not tolerate a group environment at this
time although he is working on it so his desk in at the side of the group table which works well with his other
accommodations. He will sit in a designated location. He is expected to stay seated and participate in the group
just like the other students. It is hard for him to sit for any length of time when his energy level is high. He
works at his own pace and finishes before the other students. He uses headphones for sensitivity to hearing and
also uses a token system to earn time with a preferred activity.
The last four students are low functioning and need significant support. They spend six and a half hours
a day in room 148 or 150. All students require a consistent and predictable environment. Each step is clearly

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defined and modeled a step at a time. The students are unable to follow more than one directive at a time. They
need continuous redirection to task
Student C struggles with social skills, motor skills, expressive language, attention span, reading, and
writing. He needs visual, physical, and verbal cues. It is also important to make sure to use a positive voice.
You need to use a happy or proud voice most of the time. He can get physical when he reaches a specific level
of frustration. This student must only ask for a break to have one. He does need to be given a clear work
expectation to get the break. First you work for two minutes then a break. Sometimes it is possible to prevent
him from throwing something by telling him he did a good job of not throwing the item. He will use phrases or
words from commercials and videos to communicate or interact with others. He has a limited vocabulary but is
able to get his point across.
Student D needs little help with fine motor skills. She will work mostly on attention, expressive
language, reading, and writing. She is more independent than it appears. She does not need a behavior plan and
has no medical concerns. She likes to joke and talk to other peers. Her expressive language is at a higher level
than the other students. She uses complete sentences and initiates a topic. She helps provide peer support during
group discussion. During group discussions, she verbally engages with peers by asking them questions with or
without prompting. She is the student who will encourage others to make connections in the lessons. She is able
to create complex sentences orally. She needs help with spelling because she do not have good decoding skills.
She will then copy the sentences. She is working at a first grade level and her goal in reading is sight words.
Student E has severe needs. He needs to work on all the qualifying factors. His biggest struggle is
following directions, stamina on working, fine motor, and expressive language. He needs visual aids for focus
and comprehend. He is in need of a behavior plan. He can communicate with peers and staff with support. He is
only in the beginning phases of speech development. He uses one or two word utterance. He wants to
communicate so the team is working on a strategy for him. His communication has hindered his ability to learn
combined with other factors so he is encouraged to use his words during communicating. This student uses a
variety of visual aids. He has an interactive expectation checklist, break cards, reward chart, communication

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card system, and individualized schedule to be carried with him at all times. He needs a choice of two when
answering questions. He uses a slant board and needs hand-over-hand with writing. Staff uses full physical,
partial physical, verbal, gestural, and visual prompts to redirected and focus this student’s behavior. He is one of
two students who uses tracing.
Student F has severe needs also. Her biggest struggles are fine motor, expressive language, executive
functioning, and attention span. She uses a slant board and needs constant reminders to work on holding the
paper and the pencil with a three finger grip. She traces the words. She is an incredible decoder. Her reading
fluency is amazing and outshines them all in the group. However, it is unclear how well she comprehends the
information she has read. This is due to her executive functioning and/or language. She is unable to retell
information about an event or story, but can answer some of the “WH” questions. For her using art to tell a
story helps her with her comprehension.
Significance and Implications
This unit was designed to reinforce the skills worked on with the Occupational Therapist. It includes
rich language while maintaining the rigor of academic skills. The students work on the muscles within their
hands. This way the students will have the muscle strength to gain independence with expression. The holds
worked on are the Skilled Side of the Hand (tripod grasp- thumb, index finger, and middle finger), wrist
stability (bent back during writing), Palmar Arches (cupping action of the hand during squeezing, pinching,
putting together small objects, and pulling apart), bilateral hand skills (activities using midline), scissor skills
(thumb on top hole- middle finger in bottom hole- pointer finger for stability- ring and pinking finger tucked
into the arch) (Baxamusa, 2015). The accommodation of the slant board, pencil size, and special scissors will
give the students the tools needed to practice the fine motor holds. The students who need lined paper whether
textured or not provides them with an accommodation needed during writing. It adds a structure to the fine
motor task of writing by letting them see the expectation of size, location, and amount of text.
The more opportunities students have to actively participate in discussions will increase their expressive
language and social skills (Hill, 2008). By choosing a targeted and comfortable topic the students have less

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stress during discussion. When consistently using different approaches of exposure with language they can store
the language for later use when they are in a discussion. A student with autism has no actual problems with
working memory, but they do struggle with spatial memory (Williams, 2006). Once the information is out of
sight they struggle to retrieve it. This is where the staff support comes in handy to facilitate the organization and
self-talk needed to retrieve stored memory. It will provide the students with the necessary repetition and
organization to improve their expression language and social skills.
The lessons provide the students with the same comprehensive equivalent to their peers in general
education. It gives them the accommodations and daily practice needed to access academic content. The hands
on art projects give the students the structure and concrete way of internalizing the vocabulary words they
already know. It takes the symbols or words to a comprehensive level. By using a simple concept of vocabulary
with the book it allows students to focus more on comprehension. This is one unavoidable problem in the
general education setting. Students must work too fast to achieve internalization of content. This unit allows
them the opportunity to access information at their own pace.
Unit Overview:
In collaboration with the corporative teacher, we picked a book with simple text which could be used to
focus on all the lessons standards. The interactive activities are a great way to engage and motivate students
(Case-Smith, 2008). This approach also stimulates connections on vocabulary to background knowledge while
exploring their expression and creativity. The lessons require a systematic pattern to create security for this
group of students. The fine motor skills practiced in this unit are very difficult and intense for the students. The
ritualistic structure, teacher support, and engaging activities will give them the courage they need to accomplish
the goals feeling successful.
During my time in college, I have come to believe students on the autism spectrum learn and assess
information better with the techniques used with second language learners. They are learning a second
language. I believe their first language is visual. They are trapped in a stage of words and the comprehension of
the language. This can be anywhere between WIDA levels 1-3. They teach us in the Culturally & Linguistically

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Diverse (CLD) endorsement to maximize instructions during lessons a teacher must adapt lessons to enhance
authenticity and meaning for their students (Herrera, 2007). This coincides with the instruction techniques
taught by the Special Education program. This is just good teaching and works especially well for students who
struggle with expressive language.
The student’s baseline was evaluated through the use of a rubric designed to evaluate their independence
level at the same time. Since this group achieves growth so slowly it was hard to get a baseline through formal
assessment. The assessments the pre and post assessments will be done through observation. This is the best
way to see the accurate performance level. It evaluated five of the fine motor skills we will be using during the
unit lesson. The Skilled Side of Hand, wrist stability, Palmar Arches, bilateral hand skills, and scissor skills. It
evaluates three different ways students can show their ability to comprehend, retell, and make real life
connections to text. The last part of the rubric includes the evaluation of their ability to attend to task by
participating. This is one of the hardest skills for the student to consistently achieve. It effects them in all
settings.
To start out the unit lesson plan the expectation on the first lesson was less intense. The product still
works on the initial skills but achieves it with an activity the students prefer until the expectation is established.
It includes writing their name, coloring a picture, and gluing the paper to construction paper which all work on
the tripod grip. When the students attach the worksheet to the construction paper they will be working on wrist
stability and bilateral hand skills. Students work on the reading, writing, and math standards during this unit.
The repetition of lesson two is building the ritualistic steps of the art group. The patterns of expectation are
close to being established. When the students write their name and the sentence stems it will reinforce the tripod
grip while increasing vocabulary. They will also work on the Skilled Side of the Hand by cutting out and
pasting the picture then the Palmar Arches by placing the rice on the daisy. They will also work on bilateral
hand skills by placing the cut out on construction paper in the middle of the construction paper. The students
will fill out the sentence stem to demonstrate connection of text to real life.

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In lesson three there is a need to increase teacher support. It is necessary to put fragrance beads in a
baggie, trim out detailed cuts on window, and tape baggie on the product for the students. I needed to make the
adjustment to the lesson so it promoted a positive experience for the students. The skills needed for this project
is above their capability. The students still will use the typical gluing, writing and cutting skills. The window
was chosen to allow an easy connection to checking the weather. We look out the window to check the weather
every day during the morning calendar. The lesson was adapted by letting the students to complete at different
times. Students who completed the project before the others needed to draw things they would see inside the
room.
In lesson four on the important thing about grass uses a variety of fine motor skills. They will practice
the Palmar Arches, scissor skills, wrist stability, and tripod skills (Buxamusa, 2015). On top of cutting out “G”
they will rip or cut the tissue paper to fit on the “G”. The goal is to have the students connect with grass and the
five senses.
Lesson five works on Skilled Side of Hand and wrist stability. This is achieved by writing and dabbing
glitter glue. The students worked on precision scissor skills during the cutting process. They needed to cut out
corners in very detailed areas. I am concerned about their ability to perform this expectation. However, with the
support from staff the students will get as much support as needed to accomplish the goal with a feeling of
success.
Lesson six focuses on the Skilled Side or Hand, wrist stability, bilateral hand skills, and scissor skills.
Painting was added to create motivation. Painting was the last part we did with this product. Painting the apple
practiced bilateral hand skills because the paper plate was pasted in the middle of the page and the staff made
sure to keep it in front of the student without turning the page.
Lesson seven includes a subject we have worked on before. It is fall so the song about fall leaves will
help to instigate discussion. The project will work on Palmar Arches, wrist stability, scissor skills, and the
Skilled Side of the Hand. The activity includes writing, pasting, gluing, and placing the bows on the string
without touching the paper. This expectation is not firm. I’m just curious if they can achieve this level of fine

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motor skill. At the least, they will get practice on a higher level of expectation. It sets me up to give power back
to the kids. This will improve their behavior and keep them focused. I anticipated issues with time so I chose to
cut out the bows, the white tissue squares, and the inside squares of the kite. The students will still use their
scissor skills with cutting the outline of the kite. They worked on the normal skills focused on during the unit
lesson.
In lesson eight, the students will work on skilled side hand and wrist stability during the writing section
of the project. They are working on the Palmar Arches when stretching out the cotton ball and placing them on
the page. I anticipate some difficulty with this lesson because the sky is such an abstract concept. This art
project is the best I could find at their academic ability. It was hard to find a project that emphasized the sky. It
will also be hard to measure their comprehension so I will need to spend more time in discussion to evaluate
their understanding.
On lesson nine, the students are working on the normal Skilled Side of Hand and the wrist stability
during writing, but this lesson also has increased the intensity on Palmar Arches by threading and tying the
laces. It also works on the bilateral hand skills because lacing the shoes uses two hands at once. The scissor
skills are practiced by cutting out the shoe. This activity requires a higher level of support due to the student’s
fine motor skills. The threading and tying is a difficult task for all the students. This lesson takes a long time to
complete.
In lesson ten, I intended to build self-esteem while creating a connection of text and real life. Just like the
objects in the book, each student has something important about themselves. This activity will work on text to
self-connection and full motor skills. The student will work on the skilled side of hand and wrist stability during
the writing piece. It includes the Palmar Arches when placing the small objects around their pictures.
The goal for lesson eleven is to show the students how to finish a book. This gives the students an end to the
project. They will be able to see how their illustration and text on each page created a story about the objects.
This activity will promote a connection of text to real life or self (Simkins, 2002). They will be able to interact

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with the project in a concrete way of reading for a purpose. This activity will continue to reinforce the fine
motor skills we have used throughout the unit.
The Post-assessment is the same rubric used throughout the unit. Due to the slow growth with this group, it was
better to analyze the data from only the pre-assessment and the post-assessment. I will take the beginning score
against the ending score on the rubric. This will show the level of achievement on each targeted skill by
independence.
Lesson Plan 1 (Spoon) 1 day
Information
Group Art/ Fine Motor activity based off the book “The Important Book” by Margaret.
25 minute session
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to connect text to real life objects or activities.
Students will be able to demonstrate fine motor skills through cutting and writing.
Student will be able to identify the shape of the spoon.
Colorado Model Content Standards
Reading, Writing, and Communicating/ Standard 2. Reading for a purpose (CCSS: L.K.5c); (CCSS: RI.1.7)
Mathematics/ Standard 4. Shape, Dimension, and Geometric Relationships (CCSS: K.G.1)
Assessment- Student Process/Product and its Documentation
Formative assessment: Observation and product sample
Materials
 Book
 Worksheet
 Crayons
 Colored pencils
 Markers
 Pencils
 Variety of colored construction paper
 Strips of lined paper
 White board
 Dry erase marker
 Eraser
 Spoons
 Wrapped Chocolate Covered Spoons
Resources
The Important Book” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmSRkxulmPo
Chocolate Spoons https://www.pinterest.com/pin/119626933826740433/
Student Grouping

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How will you group:
Students will be placed in 2 small groups according to ability of fine motor and focus?
Expectation for groups:
 Quite
 Raise hand
 Sit
 Look
 Listen
 Attend to lesson
Differentiation
 lined paper
o Kindergarten
o Wide rule
 pencils
o Large grip pencil
o Average pencils
 Slant board
 Scissors
 Sentence stems
o You eat with a spoon.
o The important thing about the spoon is you can eat with it.
 Double time for lessons (2 days per topic)
 Systematic structure to lesson
Introduction
Question: What is the important thing about a spoon?
What shapes are in a spoon?
 KWL discussion
o with object (spoon)
o write on board
 Read page of the book coinciding with topic
Directions
Day 1
 Put name on paper
 Color sheet
 How many different colors did you use on your worksheet?
 Paste on construction paper
(Add on chocolate spoon during publishing)
Student Learning Activities
 What do you use a spoon for?
 What do you eat with a spoon?
 How does a spoon feel?
 Why do we eat liquid with a spoon?
Questions to Summarize Learning Objectives
 What is important about a spoon?
....Lesson Plan 2 (Daisy) 2 days

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Information
25 minute sessions
Learning Objectives
Student will be able to count the petals of the daisy.
Colorado Model Content Standard
Mathematics/ Standard: 1. Number Sense, Properties, and Operations (CCSS: K.CC.5)
Materials
 Book
 Worksheet
 Crayons
 Colored pencils
 Markers
 Pencils
 Scissors
 Glue
 Rice
 White board
 Eraser
Resources
Daisy template http://www.clker.com/clipart-flower-six-petals-black-outline.html
Student Grouping
How will you group:
Same as lesson plan 1 (spoon)
Differentiation
Introduction
Question: What is the important thing about a daisy?
 KWL discussion
o with picture (daisy)
o write on board

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Directions
Day 1
 Pick construction paper
 Count the petals of their daisy.
 Write sentence stem with answers
 Glue on bottom of construction paper
Day 2
 Cut out daisy
 Glue on construction paper
 How many pieces of rice do you want?
 Glue on rice
 Let dry
 Where do you see daisies?
 How do daisies feel?
 How do they smell?
 Are daisies ____?
Question: What is the important thing about a daisy?
Lesson Plan 3 (Rain) 2 days
Information
25 minute sessions
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to estimate the amount of rain.
Materials

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 Book
 Crayons
 Colored pencils
 Markers
 Pencils
 White board
 Eraser
 Cut template for window
 Ziploc baggies of crystal beads
 Scissors
 Glue
 Packing tape
Resources
Template site http://www.busybeekidscrafts.com/Winter-Window.html
Student Grouping
How will you group:
Differentiation
Introduction
Question: What is the important thing about a rain?
 KWL discussion
o with pictures (rain)
o write on white board
 Connect rain to the quantity of rain drops using a little or a lot.
Directions
Day 1
 Write appropriate sentence
stem with answer.
 Glue paper on page
Day 2
 Cut out window template
 Glue on paper
o Teacher
 Cut out window plates all the way through
 Tape Ziploc baggy of air freshener on back side.
 Draw 3 things you would see in the room on your paper.
 When does it rain?
 What is rain?
 How does rain feel?

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 What does rain do for the plants?
Question: What is the important thing about a rain?
Lesson Plan 4 (Grass) 2 days
Information
25 minute sessions
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to estimate the amount of grass to cover an area.
Materials
 Book
 Letter G template
 Pencils
 White board
 Eraser
 Green tissue paper
 Glue
 Scissors
Resources
Letter G images https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=letter+g+template&FORM=HDRSC2
Student Grouping
How will you group:
Differentiation
Introduction

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Question: What is the important thing about grass?
 KWL discussion
o with pictures (grass)
o write on board
Directions
Day 1
 Write appropriate sentence stem and answer
 Glue strip on paper
Day 2
 Cut out “G” template
 Estimate how many pieces of grass it would
take to cover an object.
 Paste on paper
 Paste premade grass strips (green tissue paper)
 What color is grass?
 Where do you find grass?
 Why does grass grow?
 Does grass smell?
 When do you smell grass?
Question: What is the important thing about grass?
Lesson Plan 5 (Snow) 2 days
Information
25 minute sessions
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to count the sides of a shape.
Materials

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 Book
 Snowflake template
 Pencils
 White board
 Eraser
 White tissue paper
 Popsicle sticks
 Silver glitter glue
Resources
Snowflake templates http://www.marcels-kid-crafts.com/snowflake-pattern.html
Student Grouping
How will you group:
Differentiation
Introduction
Question: What is the important thing about snow?
 KWL discussion
o with pictures (snow)
o write on board
Directions
Day 1
 Write appropriate sentence stem
 Past strip on bottom of paper
Day 2
 Cut out square of template first.
 Fold tissue paper. (Teacher cut out template triangle
and place under first fold of the triangle for student)
 Count sides of a triangle.
 Shade in darkened area
 Remove triangle template
 Cut out shaded area
 Open snowflake
 Glue on construction paper
 Dab silver glitter glue on with a popsicle stick
 Let dry

P a g e | 21
 What color is a snowflake?
 How does a snowflake feel?
 When do you see a snowflake?
 What else can you make out of snow?
Question: What is the important thing about snow?
Lesson Plan 6 (Apple) 2 days
Information
25 minute sessions
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to count the strokes it will take to paint the apple.
Materials
 Book
 Pencils
 White board
 Eraser
 Scissors
 Glue
 Red paint
 Paint brushes
Resources
Student Grouping
How will you group:
Differentiation

P a g e | 22
Introduction
Question: What is the important thing about an apple?
 KWL discussion
o with pictures (apple)
o write on board
Directions
Day 1
 Pick out construction paper
 Paste strip on the paper
Day 2
 Cut out apple stem and 1 or 2 leaves
 Glue on paper at top of the page
 Glue plate on paper
 Paint apple
 Count strokes it takes to paint your apple.
 Let dry
 How does an apple taste?
 What color is an apple?
 Where does an apple grow?
 Is an apple a vegetable or fruit?
 What shape is an apple?
 Do you like apples?
Question: What is the important thing about an apple?
Lesson Plan 7 (Wind) 2 days
Information
25 minute sessions
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to distinguish length of time.
Mathematics/ Standard 4. Shape, Dimension, and Geometric Relationships (CCSS: 1.MD.2)
Materials

P a g e | 23
 Book
 Kite template
 Water color paint
 Pencils
 Shades of blue construction paper
 White board
 Eraser
 Paint brushes
 White tissue paper
 Glue
 Scissors
 Yarn
 Bows
Resources
Kite template https://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/53165316?access_key=key-
2k64hambxsx04wipo2li&allow_share=true&escape=false&show_recommendations=false&view_mode=scroll
Student Grouping
How will you group:
Differentiation
Introduction
Question: What is the important thing about the wind?
 KWL discussion
o with object (apple)
o write on board
 Time how long they can blow like the wind.
Directions
Day 1
 Pick out construction paper
 Write name on paper
 Paste on paper at the bottom
 Cut out cloud
 Paste in top corner of page
 Paint white tissue paper with water colors
Day 2
 Cut out kite
 Glue kite on paper
 Cut out inside triangles
 Glue tissue paper on back side of paper of
kite.
 Add string (ribbon)
 Tie bows

P a g e | 24
 Let dry
 How does the wind feel?
 What season will you fell the wind?
 What things can blow?
 Have you seen a kite?
 Do you want to fly a kite?
Question: What is the important thing about the wind?
Lesson Plan 8 (Sky) 2 days
Information
25 minute sessions
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to count the clouds.
Materials
 Book
 Crayons
 White board
 Eraser
 Cotton balls
 Scissors
 Glue
Resources
Student Grouping
How will you group:

P a g e | 25
Differentiation
Introduction
Question: What is the important thing about the sky?
 KWL discussion
o with pictures (sky)
o write on board
Directions
Day 1
 Put name on blue construction paper.
 Write the appropriate sentence stem.
 Paste to the bottom on the page.
Day 2
 Paste cotton balls on the top of the paper
 Count clouds
 Let dry
 Where is the sky?
 What color is the sky?
 Can you touch the sky?
 Do taste the sky?
Question: What is the important thing about the sky?
Lesson Plan 9 (Shoe) 2 days
Information
25 minute sessions
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to count the shoe string holes.
Materials

P a g e | 26
 Book
 Worksheet of a shoe
 Crayons/ Markers
 Colored pencils
 Pencils
 White board
 Eraser
 Ribbon
 Glue
 Scissors
 Markers
Resources
Shoe template
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=shoe+template+for+teachers&view=detailv2&id=27C4D2E5FCC532
AF31B2A5675521ECFE1C356245&selectedindex=12&ccid=dcX230hk&simid=608044559557067673&thid=
OIP.M75c5f6df48647adbcbc573682707aa48H0&mode=overlay&first=1
Student Grouping
How will you group:
Differentiation
Introduction
Question: What is the important thing about a shoe?
 KWL discussion
o with objects and pictures (groups shoes)
o write on board
Directions
Day 1
 Pick out a piece of construction paper
 Past to the bottom of the page
Day 2
 Cut out shoe template
 Paste on paper
 Poke holes
 Thread ribbon through holes
 Tie bow
 Count shoe string holes.

P a g e | 27
 Do you have a pair of shoes?
 What is special about the shoe?
 Why do we use shoes?
 When is a good time to put your shoes on?
Question: What is the important thing about a shoe?
Lesson Plan 10 (you) 2 days
Information
25 minute sessions
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to compare attributes of a friend.
Materials
 Picture of student
 Book
 Crayons
 Colored pencils
 Markers
 Pencils
 White board
 Eraser
 Variety of glitter glue
 confetti
 Glue
 Scissors
Resources
Student Grouping
How will you group:

P a g e | 28
Differentiation
Introduction
Question: What is the important thing about you?
 KWL discussion
o with people (everyone in group)
o write on board
 Find something that is the same or different as a friend.
Directions
Day 1
 Pick a piece of construction paper
 Write name on paper
 Paste on the bottom of the page
Day 2
 Cut out the photo
 Paste on the page
 Paste confetti on page around photo
Student Learning Questions
 What is your favorite color?
 How many of your friends like this color?
 When do you smile?
 Do your friends smile?
 How old are you?
Question: What is the important thing about you?
Lesson Plan 11 (Publish Book) 1 day
Information
25 minute session
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to demonstrate the use of text from the book to sequence pages and to publish their
interpretation of the original text.
Materials
 Products of each students first 10 lessons.
 Book
 Page protectors

P a g e | 29
 Binding
 Binging machine
 Chocolate covered spoons
Resources
Student Grouping
How will you group:
Differentiation
 Slant board
 Extended time
 One on one
 Small group
Introduction
Question: What is the important thing about books?
 discussion
o with people (everyone in group)
o write on board
Directions
 Put pages in protective covers
 Punch out the holes for the binding
 Feed binding into holes
 Count pages
Student Learning Questions
 What does it mean to publish a book?
 How do you make a book?
 Do you have any books?
 Where can you find book?
 What kind of book do you like?
 Why do we have books?
What do you think about your book?
Unit Reflection: “The Important Book”
Pre-assessment:
Since this group is in a center program for autism it was hard to get a baseline through formal
assessment. Since the expressive language skills effect the outcomes of the assessments the pre and post

P a g e | 30
assessments will be done through observation. This is the best way to see the accurate performance level. All
students were observed to get the baseline data before the beginning of the lesson. They struggled with fine
motor skills, real life connections, expressive language, and participation. I observed them during multiple
activities with a rubric. The rubric made it easy to keep the observation measureable and consistent. Student E
refused to participate in any activities throughout the day. This is the reason he was evaluated at a zero on the
rubric. To investigate the growth with independence all measures focused on the amount of prompting. These
students learn skills slowly. They will not be able to learn these skills during this unit lesson. I will analysis the
data on the pre-assessment and post-assessment then compare the data to assess overall growth.
Important Book: Spoon
The lesson went well and the students were able to make real life connections to text. The discussion
focused on the function of the spoon. We discussed what foods they eat or have seen someone eat with a spoon.
The top foods discussed was cereal or ice cream. We talked about the shape of the spoon and how it helps us eat
the food. We talked about what tool the spoon looks like. Student E is still learning the expectations of a group
activity. He was able to meet a minimal expectation so he would have an ending point to the activity.
Important Book: Daisy
The students enjoyed this activity. The activity was completed in the library due to safety. The room was
being used for an intervention. There were no students missing from this activity. They enjoyed the hands on
and messy activity. During the activity, we discussed when and where to find daises. Student D has a particular
fascination with flowers so she was even more excited about the project. Students B, C, and E struggled with
the change in classroom environment, but they were able to complete the product with minimal change in
support.
Important Book: Rain
This lesson was exciting for the students but required more teacher assistance in the outcome of the
product. This did help with the extra stress of the fine motor skill levels in the group. I also found waiting to put
the bag on after the product was completed increased the student’s motivation. They could not wait to see the

P a g e | 31
rain in the window. Since the fragrance beads looked wet they also made it easy with the connection that rain is
wet. Every student in the group were eager to play with the final product. Most of the students connected the
window to the bedroom and weather. It was not easy to focus only on the rain. This is great because they could
also generalize but not necessarily on topic. Student F just kept talking about lighting. At least, I could see she
was making a connection to rain. I used recasting during this discussion so they we could get back on topic
(Duran, 1996). It worked really well with keeping them on topic.
Important Book: Grass
They struggled with estimating blades of grass but this was anticipated. It was used as an introduction
into the math skill. They were encouraged to use bilateral hand skills by pasting the “G” in the middle then
placing the rows of grass strips only on the letter. This topic also made it easy for them to make connections.
We all discussed the topic on grass and they were able to connect with minimal assistance. Student A, E, and F
struggled with focusing on the discussion. Student A was having a difficult day although he did participate in
the conversation with redirection.
Important Book: Snow
The lesson on snow was extremely difficult for the students. The expectation of the activity ended up too
difficult at this time. In the future, I would make sure to set up the snowflake cut outs with fewer steps to
complete. The snowflake ended up making the lesson run over the time expected. It also required a lot more
assistance than desired. It could have been done better with pre-folded and marked snowflakes. This way the
students could achieve a greater level of independence. However, it would have taken away from practicing
some desired motor skills. So I will need to learn to balance their needs against their independence. They were
able to make connections to snowmen, snow, and Christmas. Some discussion on the clothes was used to help
make a connection to their lives. During the review, we discussed the lesson for the next day. Student B became
obsessed over the stem/leaf of the apple so I adapted it into tomorrow’s lesson. This way the engagement would
be better for this student.
Important Book: Apple

P a g e | 32
The discussion was interesting. We talked about eating apples being round, tasting good, and having
seeds. I had to guide the discussion more during this lesson because they had a variety of experiences with
apples. We discussed many things but I kept bringing it back to an apple is round. I would achieve this by using
thinking aloud. The kids found this lesson on the importance of an apple very exciting. Adding the stem/ leaf
worked out very well for student B. He was able to make better connection with the topic and was eager to
participate in discussion. Student D added her own special twist to the project by going above and beyond the
cutting activity. I liked it so much I think I will adjust future products to represent her style. She took the paper
plate and cut out the center of the plate. This made it look more like an apple. According to the book the
important thing about an apple is it is round. This showed me she had made a real life connection,
comprehended the key ideas, and the use of the word. I was very impressed with her achievement.
Important Book: Wind
The students all had fun. We had been working on a song about fall leaves blowing around town so they
were able to connect to the blowing action we did during the activity. The students would just start singing
during the lesson. When one student sang it encouraged the others to join. This topic promoted a higher level of
participation. The most challenging skill they worked on in this activity was placing the bow on the string
without attaching it to the paper. Student A and D made connections independently to blowing and an
experiences of seeing kites in the sky. This showed me they had generalized those connections because their
conversation was not prompted. Student A made the second connection so his was prompted a little, but by a
peer that is a skill he struggles with during social interactions. He tends to be focused on himself and not others.
Important Book: Sky
This lesson was a difficult lesson to teach. The concept of the sky is too abstract for the students to
follow as anticipated. So I encouraged a lot of discussion. The class discussion was on birds flying and kites
flying in the sky. This means they were able to use previous background knowledge about the wind.. Luckily,
the important thing about the sky is it is blue. The participation is focused on actual project not so much the
connections. They already had background knowledge on the color blue so all students to participate in the

P a g e | 33
discussion no matter their ability level. Hopefully, this will give the students some background knowledge on
the sky they will later use to make connections. The connection of the text has been accomplished. However the
In the future, I will have to find a more concrete way of presenting the activity. The Occupational Therapist
uses the term of holding the paper with the non-dominant hand “the helping hand”. We have been using this
term for all the lessons so far and they are starting to really get a clear understanding. It takes minimal support
so at this point to see it during observation. Each one of the students are showing some growth on the rubric.
Important Book: Shoe
The students really enjoyed the shoes project. I think this is because we were able to make a stronger
connection. The whole group was able to connect to the topic. They all had fun looking at their own shoes as
they tied their laces on the cut outs. It took longer than expected. The next time it would be best to hole punch
the shoe lace holes beforehand. My concern is it is missing out on fine motor practice. Since this lesson is
impacting many areas of fine motor it should not be a big concern to minimize the expectation for success. The
best connection was when student E said I have shoes. Through all the lessons he has grown with his connection
of text to real life. His personality is starting to come to life as well as his desire to participate in the activities.
We were able to discuss why we wear shoes, what kind of shoes we have, and the different shoes we were at
different locations. This conversation also helped to observe growth among the students.
Important Book: you
When I read the last page of the book it told them the important thing about you is you. This is when
they smiled. We discussed what makes them special or important. Students A, B, and D made comments about
them being special. Student F starting listing off things people do which is different. Student E not only enjoyed
the activity but participated with a greater level of independence. In the lesson, I intended on having a picture of
the each student, but the students preferred to draw a picture so I adjusted the lesson. I felt only good could
come out of the adjustment because they gained motor skill practice. I also was happy the lessons have been so
structured the students would want to draw their own picture. When they were done they loved making a mess

P a g e | 34
with the shiny confetti, glitter, and tiny shape cut outs. They were so excited to complete this project. They
participated and demonstrated comprehension of key ideas through the completion of their product.
Important Book: Publish Book
We tried to put the pages in covers but some on them did not work well. We ended up just stapling the
pages together because I felt it was unsafe at this time to use a binding machine because they are less
predictable and frustrated with the changes in normal activities. Although, this was a professional addition to
the publishing it would be best to wait until later. There will be other opportunities to publish books. With
support, I had the students put the pages in order according to the book then square them up. I held the pages
and they stapled them. The pages were not aligned perfectly, but they loved the books. At this point, they were
able to add any drawings they wanted to their pages. The students participated in the activity well because it
was basically one-on-one. The other students struggled with the free time, but were able to stay focus on and
add to their product. Some added drawings to the rain page or the self-portrait. When they were finished they
were able to spend time reading and interacting with their book. The students’ work was then mounted in the
hallway with a description page of the book. The description included the Colorado State Standards used in the
unit lesson. After two weeks, the students were able to take the books home.
Post-assessment:
The ability to focus affected the growth in four of the six students even though growth was achieved.
Students C, E and F were unable to attend to more than three and a half minutes at a time. Student E required a
break approximately every ten minutes. Students A and B struggle with hyperactivity and focus. They require a
high level of redirection. Student D was able to stay focused for fifteen minutes at a time. At the end of the
lesson, each one of the students’ scores improved in all areas. The averages were determined by collecting the
achievement score along the top of the rubric for each category then dividing them by the amount of categories.
Student A started with an average of 1.7 achievement on the rubric at the beginning of the unit and ended
with a 2.6 achievement. The students showed growth across the rubric. Each category showed a jump up a score

P a g e | 35
except for one. There was no growth on Connection (text to real life). This partially due to expressive language
skills and the level of the starting point. He still needed some support.
Student B started with an average of 1.6 achievement according to the rubric at the beginning of the unit
and ended with a 2.4 achievement. He showed growth by points in eight out of the nine areas. He was unable to
increase in the bilateral hand skills. This is partially due to his starting point on the rubric. He is demonstrating
the majority of the fine motor practice independently. His biggest area of concern is the connection piece during
the lessons. His expressive language and hyperactive makes this piece hard to evaluate.
Student C started with an average of 1.1 achievement according to the rubric at the beginning of the unit and
ended with a 2.1 achievement. He improved by one score in all areas except bilateral hand skills. He has shown
growth in this area yet he still needs support. So he is very close to achieving growth in all areas. His expressive
language is effecting his growth. He is demonstrating threes in writing stability and participation. By the end of
the project, he was asking to be in the group and moving to the table with just a timer. His biggest growth was
in participation.
Student D started with an average of 2.4 achievement according to the rubric at the beginning of the unit
and ended with a 2.9 achievement. She started out with such high scores on the rubric it appears she
demonstrated minimal growth. However, her rubric looks impressive. She is showing threes in all areas except
in identify real-life connections between words and their uses. This has been the hardest to show growth with
the rubric for all students. Her skills have grown, but not enough to see a change on the rubric. Her expressive
language and social interaction has increased during the project.
Student E started with an average of zero achievement according to the rubric at the beginning of the
unit and ended with a 1.1 achievement. The largest growth has been seen with this student. It cannot be seen in
the data but in his attitude and participation. He went from doing nothing to participating and trying in all areas.
This is a big step. He will increase more rapidly at this point. His biggest struggle in this project is focusing on
key ideas of the story. However, this data is affected by his deficit in communication skills. He is only speaking

P a g e | 36
in one to two word sentences at this time and repeats what others tell him to say one word at a time. This is why
he has visual aids to help him communicate his needs. It has been difficult to evaluate the comprehension piece.
Student F started with an average of .78 achievement according to the rubric at the beginning of the unit
and ended with a 1.6 achievement. By the end of the unit lesson, she has moved up at least one score except in
bilateral hand skills. She stayed the same. Her biggest growth was in writing stability showing an increase of
two places on the rubric. She is instinctively moving her hand to the paper with minimal reminders of “the
helping hand”. She still needs a lot of assistance with using illustrations and details in text to describe its key
ideas. Her time on task and expressive language is effecting the results this category. Her growth in fine motor
has been generalized into other activities throughout her day. She has improved her pencil grip during writing
and in most of the classrooms fine motor work tasks. She demonstrates an increase with stamina on fine motor
activities by time spent on task.

P a g e | 37
Bibliography
Buxamusa, Louvain, M.Ed. OTR/L Occupational Therapist. "Activities For The Development of Fine Motor
Skills in Children." PDF. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.spssailors.org/preschool/fm/fm_activities.pdf.>.
Case-Smith, J., and M. Arbesman. "Evidence-Based Review of Interventions for Autism Used in or of
Relevance to Occupational Therapy." American Journal of Occupational Therapy 62.4 (2008): 416-29.
Print.
Colorado Department of Education. "Data and Results." CSAP / TCAP. N.p., 2014. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.cde.state.co.us/assessment/coassess-dataandresults>.
Denver Public Schools. Communications Office. N.p., 2014. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.dpsk12.org/communications/facts.html>.
Duran, Elva. Teaching Students with Moderate/severe Disabilities, including Autism: Strategies for Second
Language Learners in Inclusive Settings. 2nd ed. Springfield: C.C. Thomas, 1996. Print.
Herrera, Socorro Guadalupe., Kevin G. Murry, and Robin Morales. Cabral. "Close-up on Assessment 3.1."
Assessment Accommodations for Classroom Teachers of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students.
Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2007. 53. Print.
Williams, Diane L., Gerald Goldstein, and Nancy J. Minshew. "The Profile of Memory Function in Children
with Autism." Neuropsychology 20.1 (2006): 21-29. Print.
Hill, Jane, and Cynthia L. Rk. Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners: Facilitator's
Guide. Tch ed. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development;, 2008. Print.
Simkins, Michael, Karen Cole, Fern Tavalin, and Barbara Means. "Making a Real-World Connection."
Increasing Student Learning through Multimedia Projects. 1st ed. Alexandria: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2002. Print.
Westerly Creek Elementary. Home Page. Denver Public School District, n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2015.
<http://westerlycreek.dpsk12.org>.

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